Lilith wasn’t running away. She just wanted some space to restore her dignity — and of course to cheer on Lora, Almost as soon as she left the bathroom, her roommate emerged from the tunnel leading backstage, jogging toward her.“You were amazing,” Lilith gushed, throwing her arms around Lora's neck and squeezing her tightly. “What was all that worrying for?”“I thought I could’ve done better,” Lora confessed. “I was just so nervous.”“Uh-huh,” Lilith said, not convinced at all. She had been phenomenal during her solo. Lilith couldn’t attest for the rest of the performance. Enzo had kept her awfully occupied. “And what did the conductor say?”Lora looked cowed. “He said I did all right.”“Just all right?”Lora laughed, hiding her face. “Okay, he said I did very well.”“Then take the compliment,” Lilith said, shaking her a little. She was always so self-assured until it came to her performances.“Thanks, Lilith” Lora said, elated, her face on fire. “I’m so glad you could come.”“Listen
“I’m fine.”“Jealous about the flowers?”“Don’t be ridiculous.”“I didn’t forget you, zolotse,” Enzo murmured as Alexei and Lora talked animatedly. He had a single red rose, held back from the bouquets, and he dusted it down her overexposed back, neck to hip, before letting Lilith hold it. She inhaled its sweet fragrance on reflex, feeling the velvet petal against her lips.“You know, you never told me what zlotse meant,” Lilith said softly, now that Lora and Alexei were distracted with each other.Enzo hesitated in the same way he had in the back of his car. “My gold.”“What?”“Zolotse means ‘my gold,’” he said, looking away from her briefly. Like he was embarrassed that he’d been caught.“Gold, like—”“You all should come to Spin,” Lora said, interrupting the charged moment Enzo and Lilith had shared. “A few of us members of the orchestra agreed to meet up there after the performance.”“I don’t know, Lora,” Lilith said immediately. “Spin is kind of …”“Exclusive?” Alexei asked, perk
“Two pitchers of beer,” Lilith yelled over the music, then looked at Enzo.“And a bottle of vodka,” he shouted.So it was going to be like that.***Enzo awoke with a dry mouth and a shitty headache that reminded him of his younger years. He hadn’t had a night like that for a long time. Nowadays, he had a better handle on his limits — and a surer understanding of what he could and couldn’t do.Lilith Rumero was robbing him of his sense of moderation.After a hearty breakfast with just the right amount of grease from his sympathetic chef — and perhaps two too many espressos — Enzo felt marginally better. The edge of his hangover wasn’t nearly as sharp by the time he arrived at the office, and he already knew exactly what was going to get him all the way back to normal.His cure walked through the door fifteen minutes early, and nearly recoiled from the grin he gave her.“What’s wrong?” Lilith demanded. “Why are you looking at me like that?”“Because I haven’t forgotten the promise I m
Right on the edge, she warbled a warning. “I’m going to come, Enzo"“No.” he backed away, smiling and licking her wetness from his lips. “You’re not. You’re going to come on my cock or not at all.”Enzo flipped her over and bent her across the surface of his desk, pens and papers scattering to the floor. The computer rocked back and forth, unsteady, as he nudged her legs apart, grinding his erection into her hip. Lilith panted, a high whine in the back of her throat, and he grinned. She wanted this just as badly as he did.“Talk to me,” he growled at her. “Tell me what’s going to happen.”“I’m going to come,” she said.“On what?”“You. Your cock.”He groaned at her filthy fucking mouth before reaching into his desk drawer for a condom. Nothing. What the fuck was this? Enzo scowled as he rifled through the items in there, but still came up short. “Goddammit,” he muttered.“What?”“No condoms.”I’m on birth control,” she said.He hesitated. “We’re just going to have to wait for anothe
Oh, hell, no. “Enzo, I didn’t ask for any of that. You gave it to me. And even when I told you it was too much, that I didn’t want it, you insisted on continuing to give me things. That’s on you.”“So you want me to take it all back.”“Are we really doing this?” Lilith asked, feeling sick to the stomach and more emotional than she should have. “I’ve always been afraid that you gave me all these things just so you could dangle them over my head and make me do whatever you want. You want to kick Lora and me out of the place you gave us to live? Fine. Screw you.”She was weeping before she even knew what was happening, and suddenly Enzo's arms were around her."Enough of this,” he said, his voice awkward and rough. “Zolotse? What is going on?”“Don’t call me that,” she said, trying unsuccessfully to get out of the hug. “You don’t care about me unless we’re having sex.” The thought made her cry harder, and enzo tightened his hold on her.“That’s not true, Lilith. What has come over you?”
“I guess so.” Lilith still didn’t know what had come over her, Sure, she had always felt insecure about all the things enzo was doing for her outside of the internship, but that wasn’t something she would cry about. Lately, She just hadn’t felt like herself.“If you promise me you won’t cry anymore, I promise you I won’t give you any more shit about your Thanksgiving break.”“You mean I can have the week off?” When he nodded, Lilith threw her arms around him. “Thank you. It would’ve broken my dad’s heart if I couldn’t make it. Thanksgiving has always been our little tradition.”Enzo's mouth twisted, but he didn’t insult her. “It’s nice to have family. And traditions.”“Things you can always count on,” she agreed.“Let me dispel some things that you said earlier.” Enzo gave her hair one last stroke before scooting back from her on the couch and leveling a look at her. “We’ve already been over the dresses. They’re custom made, and they can’t be returned. They’re yours.”“Enzo, I know. I
Lilith knew that Enzo had a bigger estate outside the city thanks to a couple of magazine articles that had mentioned it, but the setting of tonight’s dinner was apparently his downtown penthouse. Top floor of one of the most luxurious residential high rises in San Francisco, and full of bells and whistles. The doorman escorted her to the elevator, and there was another attendant who turned a key to take her all the way up.Enzo was there to meet her when the doors rolled open, giving her that small, slightly crooked smile that melted her insides instantly. “What do you think?” he asked, crossing the floor to kiss Lilith on each cheek before gently kissing her on the lips. “You look beautiful.”“This is my favorite dress so far,” she said, smiling and giving him a little twirl. “Definitely more to my tastes than the others. The necklace, though, we need to talk about.”“I thought I’d convinced you that I can spend my money on whatever I want to,” he said. “And this gift is subtle.”“L
Every single dish looked good enough for a magazine spread, and Enzo and Lilith tucked in immediately.“Good to see you have an appetite,” he said, watching her gobble down what was on her plate so she could have more. “I noticed you haven’t been taking lunch.”“Well, invite your gourmet chef for an exhibition day in the cafeteria and maybe I’d be more enthusiastic,” Lilith joked. “Wait. Enzo. Don’t. The cafeteria food is great. Better than anything I’ve ever had.”“Still,” he mused, rubbing his chin. “Maybe I’ll make a note for more variety.”“It’s your cafeteria,” she said, half-sorry that she had even said anything. “But it’s already good.”“We could do a Thanksgiving meal there,” he said, brightening. “For everyone who isn’t defecting from the company for the week.”“I’m sure there are plenty of people who have scheduled their vacation for that week,”she assured him. “You probably just don’t know about it. What do you even do for Christmas?”“Travel, usually. To somewhere new.